PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - The No. 20 Wilmington University baseball team pounded out 23 hits and 17 runs, scoring 15 runs in two innings combined to defeat USciences, 17-2, in the first round of the Bill Giles Invitational on Thursday afternoon at Richie Ashburn Field.
With the win, the Wildcats (26-5-1 overall, 14-3 CACC) now move on to play West Chester in the Bill Giles Invitational Championship game on April 22 at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. That game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.
The Wildcats scored five runs in the top of the third before opening the contest wide open with a 10-run fifth inning. That was more than enough for starter Jamie Treml, as he improved to an impressive 7-0 on the season with six scoreless innings, collecting 11 strikeouts. He only allowed two walks and one base hit in his outing.
After Treml sent the Devils (5-27, 3-12 CACC) down in order in both the first and second innings, the Wildcats bats came alive in the top of the third inning. Matt Lopes hit an RBI single to start the scoring in the inning. Mike Annone doubled to left center for an RBI before Sam Goines added another RBI single up the middle. Jon Castro rounded out the inning with an RBI single to left, bringing the Wildcats' lead to 6-0 after the top of the third.
The Wildcats then put up eight hits and used two Devil errors to score 10 runs in the top of the fifth. Goines collected the big hit of the inning, clearing the bases with an three-run double to left center. Brody Tennant followed with an RBI double down the right field line before Josh Swirchak followed with a sacrifice fly to center for the final run of the inning.
Jay Kluka came in relief to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, striking out one batter while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with a walk. Tim Racek tossed a scoreless ninth inning, striking out the side while allowing a walk to finish out the victory.
Mike Jerminski, Annone, Goines, and Tennant (2) collected doubles for the Wildcats in the win while Swirchak, Annone, and Goines led the offense with three hits apiece. Goines added another RBI to go along with his three-run double to lead the team with four RBI on the afternoon. Lopes went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored to finish while Annone, Castro, and Frank Samluk also collected two RBI on the afternoon.
Thirteen different student-athletes secured at least one hit on the afternoon for the Wildcats.
Wilmington is off this weekend and will return to action on Monday at Shippensburg. With a postponement earlier this season, the Wildcats will now play a doubleheader at the Atlantic Region's top team, with the first pitching coming at 1 p.m.